


to be normal

by Pyte



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Fluff, M/M, awkward dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4805768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyte/pseuds/Pyte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sniper likes Scout but doesn't know what to do about it. Things occur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	to be normal

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so this is my second fic ever written, and the first to be published! Super scary, please have mercy on me. Hope you like it!!

Sniper is not normal.

He is a man who likes other men. He feels it’s wrong but can’t help it. Women can not get him interested, no matter how hard he tries. Sniper wants to be normal, like everyone else in the RED team. He doesn’t want anyone to find out for it’s embarrassing, so he doesn’t talk about it. Whenever someone asks about his relationships, he just shrugs and tells he’s not yet found the right one.

Which is a big, fat lie.

For two months now, Sniper has found himself falling in love with Scout. It took him a moment to realise it, but he has figured there is no going back. He doesn’t have any intention to tell Scout - or anyone - about it and tries to deny it from himself. Why did it have to be Scout?

Scout is a brat. His mouth is nasty and he says shitty things with his stupid Massachusetts’ accent. He isn’t particularly smart or good looking. And he most certainly isn’t interested in men.

Still Sniper just can’t let it be. His shot count has gotten down as he prefers to follow Scout’s running and jumping through the lense of his rifle. The other guys have been asking what’s wrong with him, but Sniper just laughs it off and says something so Australian that no one understands.

\-----

It’s not until one night at the dinner table, when Sniper is being caught spacing off, staring to eternity.

“Oo, have you found ze one? Your face looks so dreamy, mon amí”, Spy teases and pokes Sniper’s cheek from the other side of the table, waking him up from daydreaming about Scout.

“Huh, wot?” Sniper asks idly and looks at everyone in the table, slapping Spy’s hand off his face. “Did I say somethin’ or wot?”

Demoman laughs heartily and sits next to Sniper, putting his arm around his neck and telling him that it’s easy to tell he has found someone he likes. Like, he’s never seemed to be so much in his own world, even though he’s not the talkative one anyway.

Sniper almost loses his cool. Did they find it out just like that? Does everyone know he likes Scout? Do they hate him, are they disgusted b---

“So, vho is she?” Sniper hears Medic ask him, and a giant weight falls off his chest. They don’t know.

“T-there is no one”, he tells, not sounding very convincing but stands up, making his leave. “See ye tomorrow.”

With a wave of his hand, Sniper leaves the dining room. His heart is pounding. That was a close one. He’s still relieved the others think it’s a woman he likes, but he fears they will start paying more attention to him. Probably not, but Engineer seemed like he hadn’t noticed anything with Sniper’s behaviour before. Stupid Spy, why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut.

\- - - - -

Sniper sits on the driver’s seat of his camper van. It’s getting late, but he doesn’t want to go to bed yet. Too many things said and done today are stirring up in his mind, leaving him restless. Why does it even concern him that much? The others’ opinion. He should just let it be, for his own sake, but he can’t.

He thinks about Scout again. He tries to remember how his face looked like while everyone was staring at Sniper at the table. He’s not sure if Scout was even watching. There is no reason for him to care about Sniper, as Sniper has never really given him any. He’s just as bad from his mouth and never says Scout anything nice. At first it was because he simply despised Scout, but now it is because he is too embarrassed to complain him. He could blush or do something else unmanly. 

He thinks about the kind of things Scout tells to others. As far as he knows, he usually talks about his childhood in Boston or how he kicked some guy’s ass at the battlements. Scout is annoying and loud. Scout should talk to Sniper more. It feels so illogical and stupid and a waste of energy. Sniper is innerly screaming, when his chain of thoughts is being interrupted.

“Are you gonna go somewhere?” asks Scout, peeking inside from the open window.

“Wot are ye doin’ here?” Sniper scowls at Scout, trying so hard to keep his cool and not let the other man see his nervousness.

“I’m on a jog! Can’t keep running after the ladies if I’m not in top condition”, Scout winks and seems somewhat satisfied with himself.

“Aight”, Sniper says and turns his gaze away from Scout.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Wot? Did ye ask somethin’?”

“Yeah? I asked if you were gonna go someplace”, Scout repeats. “You’re totally in your own universe.”  
“Sorry. Would ye like to join?” Sniper finds himself inviting Scout for a drive that he wasn’t going to go for and isn’t really sure how this would work out. He regrets immediately and is already starting to call it off as a stupid joke, when Scout shrugs and replies “Sure. I can jog later.”

Scout trots around the car and climbs to the passenger’s seat, putting his seatbelt on. Sniper never uses his.

“So, where are we going?” Scout seems fairly enthusiastic, but you could suppose living in the base all the time can get pretty boring.

Sniper doesn’t answer. He starts the engine and slowly gives some gas so the van begins to crawl forward. He drives to the main road and just keeps going on. After five minutes of a complete silence, Sniper is starting to feel nervous. Should he say something? This is probably his only chance ever to spend some time alone with Scout, so he should make the best out of it. He just can’t bring himself to do that.

Sniper sighs as if he forgot he’s not alone, and draws Scout’s attention.

Scout coughs and looks a bit awkward. “Um, hey. About the dinner tonight. I don’t really know what the guys were talkin’ about, but I hope it didn’t get to you. You know. They don’t mean any harm and they just---”

“It’s fine. Ye don’t need to worry ‘bout it” Sniper tells and smiles for a moment. Scout worrying about him was something he could have never imagined, but on the other hand Scout would’ve said that to everyone else in this situation. His expression returns back to its serious self.

\- - - - -

They don’t talk for the rest of the drive. Scout is looking at the scenery and seems kind of mesmerised by the beautiful sunset. You can’t really see it that well from the base. Sniper pulls the van back to its usual place, getting out of the cockpit and waits for Scout to get out too. He assumes Scout to be leaving after this awkward show, but he comes to Sniper.

“Thanks for the ride, it was real nice! Would you mind me tagging along again?” he kind of begs, his eyes round and clearly aiming for a lost puppy-effect. It’s kind of atypical for Scout, but Sniper finds it sort of cute.

“If ye want to, then why not”, Sniper says and tries not to make it sound like a big deal. Which it totally is for him.

Scout waves his hand with a grin and runs off to the base, where everyone else except for Sniper slept. Sniper has to pinch himself to be sure he isn’t just dreaming, but it doesn’t seem so. He can’t believe this is actually happening. He got to spend time with Scout. Scout said he wants to spend time again. It’s too much for Sniper’s feelings and he crawls into his bed curling up to a little ball with his blanket.

\- - - - -

Scout doesn’t show up for the next two days, but then on the third evening after the first drive, he arrives to Sniper’s van. They haven’t been talking much with the other guys around. Or, Sniper hasn’t. Scout’s been his talkative self and been babbling about everything pointless. That’s why it really makes Sniper so aware of himself when Scout is once again being really quiet on the ride. Occasionally he would point out something that he saw, but the conversation doesn’t really spark up. Mostly thanks to Sniper’s poor social skills.

At some point the quietness gets so much on Sniper’s nerves, that he absolutely has to say something. Something that comes out a bit harsher than he had planned.

“Aren’t ye bored? With me bein’ so mute. Why did ye even come again?” he blurts out.

Scout startles a bit, as he wasn’t expecting Sniper to say anything.

“Uh, I. I don’t mind”, he manages to say. “But if you don’t want me around, I get it.”

That’s not what Sniper meant. That’s totally not what he meant when he asked that.

“N-no! I didn’t mean that”, Sniper corrects hastily, “I meant it more loike why’d ye want to be with me.”

Scout rests his chin on his hand and thinks. He opens and closes his mouth for a couple of times but doesn’t say a word. He’s doesn’t want to say anything wrong or hurt Sniper’s feelings.

“Well, despite my usual loud being, I find being with you really peaceful and…”, he pauses for a second, “Enjoyable.”

Keeping his cool is getting harder every second and Sniper bites his lower lip and wishes Scout won’t notice his slight blush. He taps the wheel with his finger and tries to think of something clever to say. He doesn’t get to start when Scout already continues.

“I mean! Like usually when people fall silent, it’s super awkward, but it’s different with you. I like just being quiet sometimes.” He scratches his neck and stares outside from the side window. He doesn’t dare to look at Sniper, as he felt totally uncool right now.

“Aight. That’s cool, then”, Sniper says with a voice more soft than usually. Scout can see from the corner of his eye that Sniper has a small smile on his face. For some weird, unknown reason it makes Scout feel happy, too.

\- - - - -

Going for a drive every now and then becomes a habit for Sniper and Scout. It’s kind of weird, considering they didn’t use to be the best buddies or even talk to each other, unless they had something mean to say. The drives are still mostly quiet. Sometimes Scout wants to tell something cool he did on the battlements or how he pranked someone. Sniper mostly listens. The atmosphere remains comfortable and it feels like it’s getting somehow warmer.

Some days, Sniper drives to a river, which is not too far away, and the two men go swimming. As Scout is a fast runner, he also is a fast swimmer. He can stay long periods of time underwater and swims behind Sniper to scare him. Sniper would then yell at him and threaten to kick his ass, and Scout would swim away laughing. Those are the times Sniper would want to swim after him and drag him away from the water and leave kisses all over his body. But that is the one thing he can’t do.

Even though it has become easier for Sniper to spend time with Scout now, it also feels harder all the time. His feelings are getting stronger as he learns more about Scout. His family and life back in Massachusetts. Sniper would do pretty much anything to stop this Mann co. business this instant and start living with Scout and do all those everyday chores with him.

Sniper wants to tell Scout. Sniper doesn’t want to tell Scout. He feels like it’s unfair for Scout not to know about his feelings, but he can’t bring himself to say them out loud. He tries many times. He tries to drop it casually while they’re driving, or even call up Scout to specifically tell him. But Sniper can’t. He either claims he forgot what was about to say, or makes up something else.

\- - - - -

“Is there something wrong with my face?”

Sniper realizes he has been staring Scout’s face for too long. Again.

“Uh, no”, he mumbles and looks away embarrassedly.

Scouts seems a bit concerned. They are sitting by the riverside, getting dry from today’s swim. Scout wipes his face with his hand a couple of times, just to be sure Sniper wasn’t lying. Sniper lets out a stressed laugh that sounds forced to both of them. 

They sit silently for a moment, before they catch each other’s eyes. Then everything just happens in slow motion. Sniper leans towards Scout, gently places his hand on the younger man’s neck and pulls him into a shy kiss. It doesn’t last longer than perhaps two seconds before Sniper pulls away. He looks scared, but in fact he is terrified. Scout’s expression remains blank until a blush rushes up all the way to his ears.

“Wh-what the hell was t-that?” he stutters, staring right into Sniper’s scared eyes.

“I- I’m so sorry, Scout. I just… Uh”, Sniper stutters even more and looks like he’d rather die. He turns his also red face away and continues: “I’ve just wanted to kiss ye for so long.”

All kind of thoughts run through the Australian’s head. Does Scout hate him now? Most likely. Another man kissing him, that must have been the most disgusting thing ever. He doesn’t dare to move or say more. He just buries his face to his hands and regrets ever asking Scout to join him for a ride in the first place.

Sniper expects a painful kick or something any second now. He deserves it though. Being not normal.

What he feels instead is Scout’s hand on his, gently pulling them away. Sniper lifts his head up a little bit only to receive a kiss. More demanding, more intimate.

“Do you like me?” Scout asks quietly, as if he’s waiting for a permission to continue.

“I luv ye. Been like that for a long while” Sniper’s voice is barely a whisper.

Scout’s face gets as red as his shirt and he mumbles something Sniper can’t quite catch. Their eyes meet again. They try to understand. What does all this mean in theory, and what will be the consequences? Most likely this needs to remain as a secret.

Gently Sniper touches Scout’s cheek, it’s burning hot. Sniper’s face feels hot too. His stomach is full of butterflies and he tries to gather himself together.

“Do… do ye like me, too?” he asks, as if it wasn’t totally obvious. He needs to hear it.

“Of course I do!” Scout almost yells, grabbing the older man’s hand and keeping it on his cheek. “Have you ever seen me like this with anyone else?” he continues and seems embarrassed. He looks down; he just can’t look Sniper in the eyes.

Sniper’s expression softens. He leans in for a kiss and can feel Scout smiling. They don’t need to say more. It’s getting late and they should be back before Miss Pauling would be sent after them, so Sniper stands up and offers Scout his hand. The younger man takes a grip and gets up as well, and together they walk back to Sniper’s van.

The drive home is quiet, but this time the atmosphere is completely different than it’s ever been before. Scout can’t stop smiling stupidly as he looks at Sniper, then out of the window and then at Sniper again. His grin goes from ear to ear. The older man looks happy too, but he’s not showing it so obviously. They arrive home and Scout gives Sniper a good night kiss. It’s a bit shy, but Sniper thinks it’s sweet to see him like this. They wave each other goodbye.

Sniper is not normal. But neither is Scout, and they couldn’t be happier about it.


End file.
